COOKING AND HIKING at Ballyknocken House in Wicklow
What’s better than a cookery break? How about a cooking and hiking holiday that allows you to work up an appetite exploring the wonderful scenery of County Wicklow? Ballyknocken House is home to Catherine Fulvio’s longrunning cookery school, where the TV star teaches an extensive line-up of cookery and baking classes. Handy to Dublin, yet very much in the countryside, your weekend takes place in the cosy 19th century farmhouse, set on a working farm. Day one involves a mountain hike on your doorstep, complete with delicious homemade Ballyknocken picnic and blanket. Next morning, you’ll join the tutors for a half-day hands-on cooking experience in the Catherine Fulvio Cookery School. The break includes one night’s accommodation on a Saturday evening for two people with a wonderful breakfast on Sunday. There’s welcome tea and treats, your picnic, two places on a half-day cookery class and a tasting plate of light lunch/supper, depending on the cookery class you’ve chosen.
BOOK IT Based on two people sharing a double or twin room, with two places in one of the many half-day cookery courses, €480 at ballyknocken.ie.
Packaging the great outdoors with quality chill-out time, the folks at Big Style Atlantic Lodge o er the ultimate activity holiday for active friends. High energy days learning new skills – or perfecting those you’ve tried before – are matched with laid-back evenings at the comfy lodge overlooking the ocean. Check in on a Friday, grab a drink and surrender to the slower pace of life. All-inclusive adventure weekends include good breakfasts of porridge, homemade granola, fruit compote, fresh sourdough bread, and Cloud Picker co ee. You’ll need the fuel, as you’ll be spending the days keeping busy indoors and out. Days start with pre-breakfast yoga in a studio with amazing ocean views. Then it’s time to head out hiking, perhaps tackling Killadoon Hill with its often panoramic views before a sea swim on Killadoon Beach. Next morning, it’s more of the same – yoga, hiking and water sport fun. The lodge offers spare, modern bedrooms spaced around their in-house bar, cosy chill-out area with wood-burning stove, surf shop, games area and firepit. An additional Sunday night extension is available upon request. Atlantic Lodge is fresh from a revamp and offers the kind of laid-back fun-fuelled reset we all need right now.
BOOK IT Adventure weekend from €290 per person. Big Style is currently operating a four-person minimum booking policy, bigstyle.ie.